Message to Faculty and Staff on Enrollment

Navigate

Friday, March 6, 2009

TO: Faculty and Staff

Over the next few weeks, thousands of students seeking admission
to San José State's fall 2009 freshmen class will receive news
from us on the status of their applications. Many applicants,
10,680 individuals, will receive admission packages along with
letters confirming their provisional acceptances. At nearly the
same time, 4,400 additional qualified freshmen applicants will
learn that we cannot accommodate them this fall, and will be
encouraged to seek alternatives.

Turning away prospective students is a tremendously difficult
step, one rooted in the financial crisis that has gripped our
state, nation and world. I am writing today to update you on how
the economic downturn has affected our admissions process and to
ask for your help explaining our dilemma to students, parents and
others who value and understand the integral role we play in
educating Silicon Valley's workforce in support of our regional and
state economy.

First, a reminder of how we reached this juncture. In recent
years, funding has declined at the same time we experienced a spike
in the number of graduating high school seniors. So we have more
demand for our services than ever while our resources, principally
state general funds, are stagnant -- if not shrinking. These
circumstances forced us to choose between compromising educational
quality and limiting accessibility.

On November 20, 2008, California State University Chancellor
Charles B. Reed decided to preserve educational quality by
declaring systemwide impaction, essentially capping enrollment. The
chancellor asked every campus to adhere to 2007-2008 enrollment
targets because the state had failed to provide additional funding
since that time. For San José State, this means a nine percent
reduction in enrollment, which equates to a headcount of
approximately 29,750 in 2009-2010, down from a headcount of
approximately 32,750 in 2008-2009.

Under systemwide impaction, each CSU campus has a designated
local area, which is Santa Clara County in San José State's
case. Local applicants are given preference over other applicants
as a means of providing students statewide with access to at least
one CSU campus.

Here is the good news. We offered admission to all qualified
freshmen applicants attending Santa Clara County high schools. We
also offered admission to all qualified freshmen applicants who
attended high schools outside Santa Clara County and who applied
prior to November 20 when Chancellor Reed declared impaction.

However, we will be unable to accommodate freshmen applicants
who attended high school outside Santa Clara County and applied
after the chancellor declared impaction. In December, we warned all
members of this group of this possibility, and encouraged them to
consider alternatives, including CSU East Bay and community
colleges.

Here is how impaction will affect other students and
applicants:

Over time, continuing students in good standing should
benefit from impaction. Reducing the number of new students on
campus will allow us to concentrate our resources on existing
students.

We will admit nearly 4,200 community college transfers. This
group includes upper-division transfers from local community
colleges and non-local upper-division transfers who applied
before November 20.

We are still working through admissions for non-local
upper-division transfers who applied after the chancellor
declared impaction.

Our provost is working with the dean of each college to
consider admissions for graduate students and credential
candidates.

We were unable to admit lower-division community college
transfers or applicants seeking second bachelor's degrees. We
notified all such applicants of this in December, and urged them
to seek alternatives.

Our goal is to reach an enrollment number that matches the state
funding we receive. This is perhaps the first time in history that
state budget cuts have forced us to turn away qualified applicants,
and this will cause consternation in our community. Again, I am
writing you so that you may better understand why we have taken
this unprecedented step.